The Outsiders alternate Ending
by Pontopo
Summary: When Dally calls the gang gets a mighty shock, may they lose one more member?


_**AN: We've been reading The Outsiders in school and as a project one of the things I chose to do was write an alternate ending, So enjoy! Please tell me what you think, I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it. **_

_**Updated: Well I was reviewing before submitting to school I decided to post the revised version here as well. Not much is different just fixed up some sentences and improved a little bit of the grammar.**_

What was left of our gang was in the living room. Steve was stretched out on the sofa, his shirt unbuttoned and his side bandaged. His eyes were closed but when the door shut behind me he opened them. Soda had a wide cut on his lip and a bruise across his cheek. There was a band aid across Darry's forehead and he had a black eye. One side of Two Bits face was taped up and he had four stitches in his cheek and seven in his knuckles. Apart from Two Bit who didn't seem very awake anyway they were all sound asleep.

At that moment, looking at the last of my friends and family, I realized just how precious life was, I realized that the fact that I was alive at all was worth celebrating. I realized looking at everyone that I didn't kill Bob, and that Johnny was in fact dead, but most importantly I realized Johnny would want me to do good things with my life. Johnny would want me to do well in school, get along well with my Darry, and Johnny would want me to finish gone with the wind.

Glancing down at the book laid by the sink I sighed in hesitation before finally picking it up. I know finishing a book shouldn't seem like such a big deal, but in a way it was like throwing away the last shred of Johnny I had left. So I thought about it differently, I thought of it like it was reading it not just for me but for Johnny as well.

Bringing the book into my room I took a deep breath before opening it. Finally splitting the pages of the book apart to begin where I left off I saw a piece of paper flutter to the ground like a feather. Picking it up I began to read.

"Pony boy I asked the nurse to give you this book so you could finish it." It was Johnny's hand writing. I went on reading almost hearing Johnny's quiet voice. "The doctor came in a while ago, but I knew it anyway. I keep getting more and more tired. Listen, I don't mind dying now. It's worth it. It's worth saving those kids. Their lives are worth more than mine, they have more to live for. Some of their parents came in to thank me and I know it was worth it. Tell Dally it's worth it. I'm just going to miss you guys. I've been thinking about it and that poem, that guy that wrote it. He meant your gold when your a kid, like green. When your a kid everything's new, dawn. It's just when you get used to everything that it's day. Like the way you dig sunsets. Pony, that's gold. Keep that way, it's a good way to be. I want you to tell Dally to look at one. He'll probably think your crazy, but ask for me. I don't think he's ever really seen a sunset. And don't be so bugged about being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to shape yourself into the person you want to be. There's still lots of good in the world. Tell Dally, I don't think he knows. Your buddy, Johnny." I choked up a little reading it. That letter was the most beautiful thing I had ever read in my whole entire life and by golly it was Johnny who made it.

Just as I finished going over the letter a few times I picked up Gone With The Wind and began reading where I left off. I couldn't have been any further in then a few lines when the phone rang and scared me half to death making me drop the book. I walked out to answer it when I saw that Darry had already picked it up. It must have woke him. "Hello?" He said. After listening for a moment he hung up.

"It was Dally. He phoned from a booth. He's just robbed a grocery store and the cops are after him. We gotta hide him. He'll be at the lot in a minute." We all left the house at a dead man's run. I wondered why no one was doing somersaults off the step this time. Things were sliding in and out of focus and I wondered why I couldn't run in a straight line.

We reached the vacant lot just as Dally came running in from the opposite direction, I could hear the loud roar of police sirens and Dally must've known this was the end of the line because instead of running any more he turned around and watched two police get out of the car. Putting his hand into his pocket I watched as he took out a black object, and suddenly I remembered his voice. "I've been carryin' a heater. It isn't loaded but it sure does help a bluff."

"You blasted fool!" I thought as Dally raised the weapon. Watching the policeman's gun spit fire I didn't know what to do, and so I jumped on Dally's back knocking him down. "It's too late!" I thought looking at the red puddle below us "he's been shot!" And then I realized the blood wasn't coming from Dally, it was coming from me.

"Ponyboy! Pony!" Dally yelled getting out from underneath me grabbing my shoulders.

"Dally." I spoke weakly coughing up some blood, I knew I wasn't going to make it.

"Pony, come on stay with me!" He moved one of his hands up to my face pleading "stay with me pony! You've got to stay with me!" I don't think I ever saw Dally so worked up before, if I didn't know any better I'd say he was almost crying.

"Dally." I coughed some more trying to speak. "Dally, look at a sun set. Do it for me and Johnny." I barely managed to say. After I said those words I blacked out. And that was the last thing I'd ever feel, ever say. That's how quickly it all ended. I had died so Dally could live.


End file.
